Gundam Runners
by The Dreamer1
Summary: Character sketches for a future Gundam/Shadowrun crossover. Chapters will be uploaded in no particular order; that is, the order in which I write them.
1. Duo Maxwell: vehical rigger

Disclaimer: Duo does not belong to me. Shadowrun does not belong to me. This crossover does.  
  
A/N: This is the first of twelve character sketches. The purpose of the sketches is just to introduce the characters, their history, their jobs, and the world this all takes place. Brief summary: Shadowrun takes place in the future where major corporations rule the world. Shadowrunners (or simply runners) are groups of people hired out to complete missions (ex. Get information, assassinations). I have taken the major characters from Gundam Wing and placed them in this universe.  
  
Warnings: None in this chapter, except suggestions of violence. Rating is high as a caution, though.  
  
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Duo was born and abandoned to the city jungle. Raised with a sprawl 'gang' of other street orphans, he very quickly learned that, on streets, it was kill or be killed. His happy-go-lucky attitude, carefree nature, and skill with his fists made him quite popular among the gang lords, making his name infamous throughout the underground. He became a very valuable commodity, hiring himself out as a freelance merc and bodyguard. He became quite proficient with a taser and a few of the smaller guns, but will never be quite as comfortable with anything larger then a revolver.  
  
But it was during a period of time between jobs, when Duo was 'home' with his sprawl gang that he truly found his calling. A few of the younger, newer members decided that it would be entertaining to jack a few cars. Duo, of course, being highly entertained by the whole operative, volunteered to come along. By the time the heist was over, Duo's heart was sold. He loved the thrill of being behind the wheel; he reveled in the rush of a speeding car. With the support of a rigger in his gang, he became the master of the vehicle. He learned to disassemble completely any sort of car, truck, or tank engine. He can now honestly say that he is the best in the business, making him even more valuable.  
  
While Duo harbors no actual hostility towards the Corp., he whole-heartedly supports any opportunity to show off his skills. He works well with a variety of personalities, and is willing to fund his own repair and maintenance. In fact, this is how he met up with the Gundam Runners group. It was through a charming techno-wiz and drone rigger, Sally Po. He was buying replacement engine parts when he overheard the dealer yelling at a stately looking figure in the back. What he overheard was Sally, arguing with Treize Kushrenada, her run op. For a run coming up, they needed a vehicle rigger, and there was a drastic shortage in expert (or even amateur) riggers within his contacts. Because Duo can never resist putting in his two cents (and because what Kushrenada was offering to pay was a considerable amount) he casually dropped the fact that he was, indeed, the best in the business. Kushrenada hired him immediately (after a short discussion with Duo about becoming a permanent operative and Duo's suggestions on his percent of the cash flow). Of course, you'd be a fool to let such talent go to waste. 


	2. Quatre Reberba Winner: combat mage

Gundam Runners, ch. 2: Quatre Reberba Winner  
  
Disclaimer: Because it's a pain in the rear, the disclaimer in chapter one holds true for all.  
  
Warnings: Language  
  
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Quatre Reberba Winner's father is the head of a major branch of the Corp. When Quatre was born, it was expected that he would step into his father's chair. However, Quatre had his own plans.  
  
As a child, and the only boy with 29 older sisters (the product of genetic engineering, one of his father's pet projects), Quatre was treated like glass and just generally spoiled (he was the only one to born naturally). He got what he wanted, when he wanted it, so it shouldn't have come as a shock when he refused the heir-ship of the position. Anything that involved true work and thinking business sense just wasn't worth the sacrifice for an intellectual like him. So, knowing how it would displease his father, at the age of eleven, Quatre began studying the world of the arcane.  
  
It took ten years of fanatical studies and secret teaching by his elder sister Iria (she had recognized the mage potential in her brother early on), but he accomplished his goal. At the young age of 21, Quatre had become a full-fledged combat mage. As a 'graduation' gift, Iria gave him his first familiar, a snowsnake. Quatre fell in love with the downy-haired reptile, immediately recognizing in it the potential of greatness for them. However, to achieve the sky, the roots must break. Quatre set out to bring his father down.  
  
It was no great task to set in motion the grounds for his father's failure. A bit of strategic planning, winning quite a few of the other board members to his cause by feeding them a bullshit story about his tragic beginnings, and a lot of help from Treize Kushrenada, a wealthy man who was against his father's system led to the eventual downfall of Mr. Winner. But something happened then Quatre did not intend. Fueled by his snowsnake's demonic red eyes and the bloodlust caused by his own reach for power, Quatre took the operation much farther then anyone had intended. With his father in despair over the loss of his power, Quatre manipulated him into an empty room and let his snake in. It was quick work to dispose of him through the wicked, venomous fangs. However, Mr. Winner did not go quietly. In his frantic struggles against the poison in his bloodstream, he crushed the reptile's skull.  
  
The breaking of the bond between his familiar and him shocked Quatre into saneness. When he realized what he had done, he fled the house and onto the streets. However, before he could end his own life, Treize caught up with him. He persuaded the grief-wracked boy that the only way toward retribution was to take down the companies that where the cause of his homicide. Quatre grew used to life with the Gundam Runners, and even when he knew that the reasons he had been fed where wrong, he stayed on with the group. After all, what's a little magic service for those who can use it, now and again? 


	3. Zechs Marquise: Face operative

Gundam Runners, ch. 3: Zechs Marquise/Milliardo Peacecraft  
  
Warnings: Violence, multiple-personality disorder, heavy manipulation  
  
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Zechs Marquise is a man of many faces; faces that he can slip on and off at will. He is a master of disguise, with a gift for interrogation. His ease with rules, functions, and etiquette make him the perfect Face operative; combined with his combat skills, he seems almost to be two completely different people.  
  
Zechs was borne Milliardo Peacecraft, whose father was the central figurehead of a major Corp. When a rival Corp. assassinated his father, Milliardo (at the tender age of seven) was fostered into the wealthy Kushrenada family. He became fast friends with Treize, the sixteen-year old eldest son of Master and Lady Kushrenada. Despite the significant age difference, the boys discovered they had much in common, from their formal upbringing to their hatred of the Corporations. Milliardo hated them because it was to a Corp. he lost his father, and Treize hated them for the restrictions they imposed. The older boy harbored a deep fascination for the underground world of the Shadowrunners, and it was no large task to introduce the young Milliardo to the adventure and freedom this world held. By the time he turned sixteen, Milliardo was devoted to the cause of bringing the Corp. down.  
  
Treize was delighted with his first recruit. Because of the training in formal etiquette Milliardo had received, and because of his talent with adopting different personas, it made sense to give him combat training and make him a Face. Milliardo became quite proficient in gleaning information from just about anything or anyone. However, he had one weakness. He was an empath.  
  
Uncovered early into his career, this was almost a fatal discovery. During an infiltration, his identity was exposed and Milliardo had to fight his way out. He had the combat skills but little practice; he'd never before been caught. During the fight, Milliardo shattered the backbone of one of his attackers. A dam inside his head broke, and all of a sudden he was looking through the dying man's eyes, feeling what his opponent felt. He watched himself snap the man's neck before the overwhelming pain slammed his mind back to his own body; the incident left him broken. Half his mind was devastatingly grief-scarred from being inside the mind of a man he'd killed; horribly disgusted and terrified of what he'd done. The other half, the half that had killed the man, reveled in the adrenaline rush of battle. It was obvious to his wrecked mind that the two halves couldn't share one mind; because of his 'gift' he would never again be whole. To accommodate the sudden splitting of his psyche, Milliardo took on a second, permanent persona. Before he goes into battle and to bloodshed, he becomes Zechs Marquise. As Zechs, he wears a helmet mask; as if the Milliardo in him is still ashamed by the bloodlust. But Zechs is just as much a part of him as Milliardo; two halves of the same soul to deal with a war-torn world. 


	4. Caherine Bloom: weapons specialist

Gundam Runners, ch. 4: Catherine Bloom  
  
A/N: I don't think this one is written as well as the others. I never got a good sense of Catherine's character from the show, so I'm trying to create one out of very little. This is all I could come up with, so I'd appreciate a bit of feedback.  
  
WARNING: Ooh, this has a lot. Drug dealers, whores, and weaponry. Have fun with that!  
  
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Catherine Bloom was raised with a troupe of street performers. A rag-tag group of freelance mercs, street mages, and animal keepers that owned a section of the only park in the city, and made a halfway decent profit off loiterers and collected bribes. Indeed, the park offered the only recluse that was completely protected from prying (official) eyes. Drug dealers, weapon jackers, pimps; as long as they paid their proper dues, the troupe kept their business secret. It was in this environment that Catherine, borne to a whore and a merc, was brought up.  
  
Her lithe figure and ability to move in a way that seemed almost boneless inspired the troupe to train her as an acrobat. She lent herself more to contortionism; Catherine was easily bored and was always getting into problem spots with some of the crime lords. She had an endless fascination with the world outside the park; the world these criminals came from and disappeared back into. She was especially curious about anything mechanical; weapons in particular piqued her interest. By studying the jackers and the mercs, she was able to learn the functions, parts, and structure of all standard and most exotic weapons. She became adept at throwing-knives, but was comfortable with any sort. Word spread wide through the underground that a new sort of Amazon was born.  
  
People began to come to get their weapons appraised, repaired, or improved. Whatever was needed, Catherine could do it. So it is no wonder that the Runner-group heads began to come crawling around the park, looking for runners to hire.  
  
And it was only a matter of time before Kushrenada came searching for a weapons specialist. And, true to street performer form, Catherine went with the highest bidder.  
  
Catherine is a freelance worker at heart; she informed Kushrenada that she'll only stay with the Gundam Runners until she can get a move on her own. But, there are precious few niches a young, inexperienced female can fill in the City. Treize is aware of this, and will do anything he can to keep it that way. Weapons specialists are not in short supply; however, one as versatile and expert as Catherine will be hard to come by again. 


	5. Heero Yuy: combat decker

Gundam Runners, ch. 5: Heero Yuy  
  
WARNING: Violence. Mucho blood shed.  
  
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An anonymous tip was all it took. One tip, and the whole plan went up in smoke. At least, it did for Heero Yuy.  
  
It was tough being out on the streets, especially when your only major talent was decking. There was no shortage of good hackers in the City; such as it were, there were few places a young male decker could go. So, seeing a course of action that could turn out to be the worst thing in his life, Heero began renting his services to the lowlifes incapable of hiring anyone else. Whether no one wanted to dirty their hands with them, or they were desperately short on cash, Heero would do the run.  
  
He loved the thrill of hooking up his jack and coasting through the Matrix. He loved the rush of breezing by and snatching what you needed before anyone noticed. And he loved the challenge of breaking through firewalls. But when his employers were discovered, he always got caught. He, the hacker with weak, unformed muscles, would get taken down.  
  
Obviously, this had to change.  
  
Heero was, at his center, a well-intentioned person. He was quiet, introverted; some might even have said gentle or withdrawn. He had no combat skills to speak of; he lived through his computer, and his computer was all the emotional support he needed or wanted. As he went through his life, hopping from gang to gang, Heero's muscles began to atrophy; lack of use made them unusable. And he was happy like this, as long as nothing interfered with his Matrix jack.  
  
But of course, this sort of idyllic existence is a rough way of living in the City. His total broken bone count exceeded well over 25, and the bruises, scrapes, and various slashes and cuts on his body never numbered less then 36. Until he turned fourteen. Then, his 'mentor' took him aside to teach him basic self-defense.  
  
What followed where two of the most painful years of his young life. It might have taken more, but Heero discovered a love for the rush of battle not unlike his love for his Matrix hookup. And while deckers where common, combat-deckers where always hard to come by. Heero had carved a name for himself.  
  
The set-up was perfect. And simple. Nothing could go wrong.  
  
At least, that's what they thought.  
  
But, thanks to an anonymous tip from an as-yet-unknown source, the location, date, and time of Heero's last big run was disclosed. It was a hit-and-run cocaine theft: very simple, very straightforward; almost routine. Heero had the whole thing figured out, from the map stored safely on his drive to the codes hidden behind his firewall. He knew it was perfect; after all, they where going to infiltrate a building filled with highly combustible substances. You could never be too careful, of course. And they were very careful. They got in, got the goods, and where just heading out without being discovered when the building blew up.  
  
The blast started at the center of the building and continued outward, meaning that those in the center were incinerated on contact. Heero was lucky; the only jack into the Company's mainframe was toward the outside of the building. He didn't get the force of the blast, but a good portion of his left leg, three fingers on his right hand, his right eye, and ¾ of his face were burned off. Just burned completely away.  
  
He was discovered early on in the excavation of the disaster site. Luckily, Treize Kushrenada found him and drove him personally (or at least, with his own vehicle rigger) to the nearest burn-treatment facility. While he was recovering and the cyborg- replacement parts for his limbs and face where on the way, Treize filled him in on the group he was sponsoring. Heero was eager to get off the streets, so he took the job.  
  
The damage was done with bio-engineered parts, so that he now resembles a cyborg more then a human. With his dexterous, multi-jointed titanium limbs, his thermo-scanning eye, and the sheet metal over the left side of his face, Heero makes a for an imposing picture. His voice box, which was also severely damaged, is almost non-functional; the only oral noises he can make are grunts and guttural noises. But he hardly needs even that.  
  
The 'perfect soldier' can convey anything with a single glance. 


End file.
